Wichita names site for new WSU-KU Wichita Biomedical Center: ‘This is going to be big’

27 Thursday, July 27

Wichita names site for new WSU-KU Wichita Biomedical Center: ‘This is going to be big’

info2023-07-28T07:30:37-05:00July 27th, 2023|

On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council will consider a last-minute agenda item that’s a memorandum of understanding between the city, the University of Kansas Medical Center and Wichita State University for the new Wichita Biomedical Center in downtown. “This is going to be big,” said Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson. “This project is going to transform not only downtown but our entire region as it relates to healthcare (and) medical.” The city has two sites — the southeast corner of Broadway and William where a parking lot is and the southeast corner of Topeka and William where the Wichita Transit center [...]

27 Thursday, July 27

SpaceX ‘superloads’ traveling through Kansas again

info2023-07-27T23:27:10-05:00July 27th, 2023|

The Kansas Department of Transportation says SpaceX "superloads" are making their way through Kansas again Thursday through next Tuesday. KDOT tweeted a map of the planned route, with the loads starting in the northeast and making their way southwest. "Be aware as you travel, as this could affect your travel time," the tweet said. The last time the loads came through the Sunflower State in late May, they were traveling at only 45 mph, and the giant structures took up the entire roadway. Traffic backups were several miles long at times. Source: KAKE - News

27 Thursday, July 27

Wichita water usage is higher than last year in midst of ongoing drought

info2023-07-27T23:24:28-05:00July 27th, 2023|

The City of Wichita is warning people to watch how much water they're using after reports show a 6% increase in water usage commercially and 12% increase residential compared to June 2022. The city has also been in stage one of a drought since January and it says with the amount of water being used stage two is closer than before. "A couple of months ago we would say that stage two would maybe be February of 2024 but now those projections are creeping up," said Megan Lovely a spokesperson for the city. Source: KAKE - News

27 Thursday, July 27

Upset over a school closing, residents of one Kansas town want to cut ties with their district

info2023-07-27T23:22:55-05:00July 27th, 2023|

Kansas residents upset over the closing of their rural high school want to disband their school district and start over, and the move could set a precedent for other towns dealing with enrollment declines. Voters in the Central Plains district near Great Bend will decide Tuesday whether to dissolve the district. If the measure passes, the Kansas Board of Education would redraw boundaries and assign the district’s territory into neighboring districts. The proposal surfaced after the Central Plains school board voted to close Wilson High School earlier this year, citing declining enrollment and rising costs. Source: KCUR News

27 Thursday, July 27

Parsons PD receives lifesaving K-9 gift

info2023-07-27T23:16:33-05:00July 27th, 2023|

It is being called a heartfelt donation in Parsons. The police department has received two specialized K-9 trauma kits from the national nonprofit Protecting K-9 Heroes. Each kit -- one for each of the department's two K-9 officers and their handlers - is valued at more than $100 - and includes first-aid gear for the dogs. Things like a heat blanket, bandages, eye solution, and Narcan. "It's extremely important just to have it so we can at least save the dog's life if we have to. We pray that we never have to use them, but at least now we have [...]

27 Thursday, July 27

Pittsburg reexamining nuisance ordinance & “camping” in city limits

info2023-07-27T23:15:26-05:00July 27th, 2023|

In an effort to "spruce up" the city this year, Pittsburg city leaders are taking a deeper look at a nuisance ordinance that's been in place for nearly forty years. Since 1988, the city hasn't allowed camping inside city limits. Last month, the Pittsburg Police Department asked the prosecutor what was considered camping under the ordinance. After looking at the ordinance, the prosecutor determined there was no real definition. So Tuesday night, Pittsburg city commissioners worked to better define that and see if that only includes campers and RVs or should it also include tents, tarps, and blankets. Source: KSNF/KODE

27 Thursday, July 27

Cleanup nears end as Iola talks storm recovery

info2023-07-28T07:33:27-05:00July 27th, 2023|

By the end of the week, Iola’s crews may be close to doing their first full sweep through town to haul off piles of brush, limbs and downed trees toppled in the July 14 storm that roared through Iola and Allen County. Workers in Iola’s street and alley department, as well as helpers from other departments, continue to clear up brush piles across town. By Thursday, they had reached the final quadrant of town, the northeast section, Iola Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock said. “We’d like to be done Friday, but it may roll over into next week,” Schinstock said. “There’s [...]

27 Thursday, July 27

Allen County takes swing at containing refuse

info2023-07-28T07:33:46-05:00July 27th, 2023|

The Allen County Landfill will get another tool to try to control wayward trash. Commissioners approved the purchase of a new hydroseeder, a machine that sprays water and chemicals on the refuse pile to keep it from blowing into neighboring properties. The machine also helps landfill crews minimize the amount of dirt they have to use to cover the pile. “It’s very important we wet trash down during the day to keep it from blowing, and every day we spray a fire retardant chemical,” Mitch Garner, Public Works director, told commissioners. Source: The Iola Register

27 Thursday, July 27

Property taxes rising in Kansas as home values grow. What will lawmakers do about it?

info2023-07-28T07:34:20-05:00July 27th, 2023|

A soaring real estate market leading to rising property tax bills has angered many Kansas homeowners in recent years. Lawmakers are now under pressure to take dramatic action amid a sense among some residents that the property tax system is fundamentally broken and after previous solutions have fallen victim to larger fights over tax policy between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature. As local governments publish annual budgets this summer, offering residents a window into how much officials plan to tax their property, calls are growing for tax relief, especially for seniors and others on limited incomes. Source: KC [...]

27 Thursday, July 27

AG sues Johnson County city over ‘illegal annexation’ for industrial park

info2023-07-28T07:34:55-05:00July 27th, 2023|

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is suing the city of Edgerton, arguing it illegally annexed land for an expansion of its booming industrial park. It’s the latest in a years-long saga in southwestern Johnson County, where neighbors continue to fight industrial growth as they watch farmland get eaten up by warehouses. In 2020, the Edgerton City Council annexed and rezoned nearly 700 acres of unincorporated rural land to make way for an expansion south of Interstate 35 at the sprawling Logistics Park Kansas City intermodal facility. A group of homeowners unsuccessfully sued the city in 2021, arguing the annexations were illegal, [...]